Minimal set of watercolor pigments - what to buy
MIL...@board.tec.wi.us
Make Green" (or something similar) recommends the following six colors:
DOUG815
off with the "English" method. All you need are Indian Red, Indigo and
Gambouge (sometimes called Indian Yellow). All are rich, but not
overpowering color, which mix very well into warm and cool greys. Stick
with an optical (mixed) black to keep your pallette clean. Clean water
will be your best friend and a hair drier is needed as well. Look at the
work of Winslow Homer as he makes excellent use of this limited pallete.
Good luck!
Jason A. Hutto
Hmmm.
Id have to recommend a 14 color palette even to a beginner.
I would also have to recommend not using the hair dryer...tends to cause
wet pigment to sink in and as a result it dulls the color.
Cad red Medium
Cad Orange
Cad Yellow (Or Gamboge...which is better)
Alizarin Crimson
Purple Lake
Prussian Blue
Indigo (Used Sparingly)
Hookers Green Deep
Turquoise
Untramarine, french ultramarine, or colbalt
Mauve (Grumbacher-like, DARK), Or dioxazine Violet
Permanent Rose (phew!)
Emerald Green or Windsor green
There is another one but I cant recall what it is...
Layer the darks/neutrals...Dont use neutrals out of the tube.
J
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This has been a message from : Jason A. Hutto (Brother Alphabet)
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ja...@ra.msstate.edu | http://www2.msstate.edu/~jah10
Joseph F. McElroy
>Id have to recommend a 14 color palette even to a beginner.
>I would also have to recommend not using the hair dryer...tends
>to cause wet pigment to sink in and as a result it dulls the
>color.
A 14 color palette is going to confuse any beginner. Learn simple
triads and complements first. IE. Use three colors like indian
red, yellow ochre, and blue black. Once you understand these then
add the prismatic (bright) colors a few a time. Note that I
recommend the black for learning purposes only, in general use
black sparingly as it can dull your colors. A hair dryer used at
a low tempature and kept away from the paper IS ok. Be sure to
mix your colors on the palette and not the paper as that can lead
to dull colors. Start with light washes and build to dark
(opposite of oil painting). Practice uniform washes across a
selected plain as this is one of the fundamental technique.
--
Joseph F. McElroy. A resident of Philadelphia, PA. An artist,
software and programming consultant, actor, poet, corporate
president. Graduate of Duke University and the Pennsylvania
Academy of Fine Arts. 33 years old. 6'5" 275 lb. Good looking.
Chris Gilbert
|>
|> Hmmm.
|> Id have to recommend a 14 color palette even to a beginner.
|> I would also have to recommend not using the hair dryer...tends to cause
|> wet pigment to sink in and as a result it dulls the color.
|>
|> Cad Orange
|> Cad Yellow (Or Gamboge...which is better)
|> Alizarin Crimson
|> Purple Lake
|> Prussian Blue
|> Indigo (Used Sparingly)
|> Hookers Green Deep
|> Turquoise
|> Untramarine, french ultramarine, or colbalt
|> Mauve (Grumbacher-like, DARK), Or dioxazine Violet
|> Permanent Rose (phew!)
|> Emerald Green or Windsor green
|>
|> There is another one but I cant recall what it is...
|> Layer the darks/neutrals...Dont use neutrals out of the tube.
|>
But....but.....but you can't leave out Paynes Grey !!!!!
ChrisG
Jason A. Hutto
I agree with some of what Joseph was saying...
I would only say that mixing is not the best solution...
While you will be faced with some colors that can only be efectively
mixed, layering will give your colors more richness. Try to layer as much as
possible.
The expanded palette is used to promote heavier use of layering rather
than mixing. COLOR is not something that should be learned in watercolor.
The nature of waterclor makes it a great medium for expanding what you
already know about color. It will be a hindrance if you do not already
have a basic color knowledge.
Jim Felder
colors, days or weeks to fully set, say, cadmium red.
>
>The expanded palette is used to promote heavier use of layering rather
>than mixing. COLOR is not something that should be learned in watercolor.
Why not? At least you don't have to deal with white, which subtracts an entire dimension of complexity.
>
>The nature of waterclor makes it a great medium for expanding what you
>already know about color. It will be a hindrance if you do not already
>have a basic color knowledge.
I'm not so sure. It's just a great medium, left at that. I feel that I was only finally successful with color when I got serious abo=
ut watercolor color. Watercolor (my pursuit) has helped immensely with computer image stuff (my job), but the reverse is not true. A=
nd with other (more forgiving, IMHO) paint media, I never figured out what I learned through watercolor, where every decision is nak=
ed to the world. Maybe that's what you're saying, but thought I'd add my piece.
Jim Felder
frank sheldon
the colors to single pigments (no mixtures), completely
transparent, and completely light fast the choice becomes
rather simple. Here we go:
Phthalocyanine Blue
Ultramarine Blue
Phthalocyanine Green ( PG36 the yellow shade)
Quinacridone Red (crimson)
Naphthol Red AS (scarlet)
Hansa Yellow Medium (PY73)
I omitted Black or grey since you can mix these yourself.
There aren't too many shades you can't get with these 6.
Frank
Joseph F. McElroy
>I would only say that mixing is not the best solution...
>While you will be faced with some colors that can only be
>efectively
>layer as much as
>possible.
Over a period of time, and with much practice, layering is
definitely the best method. But for quick studies, or wet on wet
painting, mixing colors will produce better results than trying
to create colors on the paper. I find it usually better for a
novice to do the quick or wet on wet painting since they tend to
become to tight and/or impatient with the layering method.
P.S. There are methods of mixing color on the paper (other than
layering) but be sure not to scumble (using a brush to push the
colors togethor) unless you know exactly why you are scumbling.
jAxAs
>Phthalocyanine Blue
>Ultramarine Blue
>Phthalocyanine Green ( PG36 the yellow shade)
>Quinacridone Red (crimson)
>Naphthol Red AS (scarlet)
>Hansa Yellow Medium (PY73)
>I omitted Black or grey since you can mix these yourself.
>There aren't too many shades you can't get with these 6.
> Frank
I'll second your choices.
I want to respond to someone who challenged my suggestion
that a beginner try using pen and ink under-drawing as a tool
for laying out a watercolor composition. The person claimed the
ink would bleed. Obviously the person had not a clue about
using pen and ink but was merely guessing. A GOOD quality
India ink WILL NOT bleed or dissolve once it is dry. You DO
NOT work with ink on wet paper unless you WANT the ink to
bleed into the paper, a sometimes nice effect in an of itself.
I have long used FW (tm) brand non-clogging waterproof India
Ink in technical, fountain, and dip pens. I also like Higgins (tm)
brand India inks. One should experiment with the different
brands of india inks though, because there are some that will
lift or bleed slightly. The key to completing the watercolor
is to be sure the ink is thoroughly dry before using additional
water.
Jaxas -- I lift my tail to let you know.